Lesson 11: Quiz

• ** Small KICA quiz ( multiple choice, short answer, paragraph answers- marked according to class discussions, content and conclusions)
  • Some answers would be quite subjective since marking would have to be on the ability to connect/synthesis issues learned in class, and The Rez Sister, Tay John and Borders texts.
  • Students will have the option to choose some of the questions. For example, out of 5 questions on Borders, they must choose to answer 3; out of the 5 Tay John questions they must choose to answer 3 and out of 8 The Rez Sistersquestions (up to p 60) they must to choose to answer 5. Possible questions for:
  Thomas King’s, Borders:
  1. What are the signs of the mother's attachment to the place in which she lives?
  2. Why did the mother refuse to disclose her Canadian citizenship?
  3. Should the border patrol let her cross the border?
  4. In your opinion, why did the authorities let them cross the border?
  5. Is the individual action, like the one in the novel, important to the community/society?
  Howard O'Hagan’s, Tay John
  1. Why do writers mix natural and unnatural elements in their works?
  2. What do you think will become of Kumkleseem, the boy from Howard O'Hagan book?
  3. In your opinion, what's the importance of the circumstances of Kumkleseem's birth?
  4. Do you know any other literary character whose birth involved supernatural intervention?
  5. What functions do the supernatural forces/characters play in the works of literature?
  
  
• Talking circle after quiz - if they want, they could talk about the quiz but would be open to student’s choice and questions

Lesson 12: 8th Fire

• Hook: read “To the Seventh Generation” (Education is Our Buffalo 55)
  • Remind students of week 1’s discussions surrounding the history , assimilation, culture and geography
  • Group discussion on the idea of hope and social activism for change as seen in the 8th Fire Series on CBC. Discuss why the series is called the “ 8th Fire”
• Will show certain snippet from the 8th Fire series with particular focus on episode 4: At A Crossroads.
• Will stop the viewing at key segments to discuss issues of economic inequality, and the necessity for change for aboriginal youth with special emphasis on educational hopes as a path for change.
• Will be given discussion questions to keep in mind during viewing
• Homework: Independent reading of p 61-76.

Lesson 13: Mapping Character Webs

• 10-15min of Inside/Outside Circle Character activity:
  • Characters can be voiceless characters (Gazelle Nataway, Eugene and Big Joey), Nanabush, or one of Rez sisters
  • 5 min for each student to assume a character and make notes on that character for the subsequent activity (Which other characters do they or don’t they get along with and why? Are they older, younger, married, unmarried, have children or not? What is their personality and history? etc.)
  • Half the class will form the inside circle and the other half, the outside circle.
  • Assuming their characters, students begin a dialogue with another character/student. Using textual evidence and improvisation, pairs should talk about characters relationship
  • Students may act as their characters in their discussion or merely talk about their relationship. This exercise allows students to continue their close examination of characters and their connection to other characters.
  • After a brief discussion, the inside or outside circles (or both) move so that characters have dialogue with different characters. If the same characters meet, they can discuss the individual student interpretations
  • Students should be able to see which characters get along and which characters don’t. Lead into a discussion about “ archetypal partners”
• Teachers could also use this inside/outside exercise to asses if students completed last night’s assigned reading ( homework) and to help recap character and plot developments for students who did not do the homework
• 5 min of whole class instruction on the mind map assignment
• 5 min to show exemplars from previous student’s work or teacher produced Prezi/hard copy of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet
• 10 min discussion of the rubric/ clarification of expectations
• After watching students and ensuring students understand the assignment, whole class go to computer lab
• 20 min of whole class instruction on how to use Prezi and creation of a mind map together through teacher modeling
  • Students not using Prezi will also accompany us in the computer to ensure there is supervision of all students
  • Students who want to do a hard copy can still accompany us in the lab using the time to do rough copies, finding textual evidence or finding images on the internet
  • Teacher email ( or some sort of dummy email account to receive Prezi urls) should be given out to students so that those who choose to do a Prezi, can hand it whenever they please
• Remainder of class period devoted to work on mind map. If they are not on task, will watch 8th Fire episodes with question and answer sheets to be handed in.

Lesson 14:Guest Speaker Introductions and Work Period

• 5 -10 min of Character Web Hook:
  • Materials: a ball of yarn
  • In a circle or at their desks, students will think about their mind map character
  • Teacher will ask all students to say their character’s name
  • One student will then throw the ball of yarn to another ‘character’/student while stating the relationship their two characters have with each other – therefore the yarn serves as material representation of the 2 characters’ connection.
  • The student who received the ball of yarn will now throw it to another character and the process repeats until there is are unsafe entanglements or when comedy ensues
  • Debrief: students should see that relationships amongst these women are complex.
• 5-10 min to introduce the community Resource/ Aboriginal Friendship centre about youth – talking about the challenges to aboriginal people in general and specifically aboriginal youth in the city ,
  • Rationale: to provide real life experiences and emotional connections to concepts in the play. In addition, as The Rez Sisters tells the story of six women older than the audience, this resource could provide students with an understanding of how the play’s issues touch the lives of youth their age (text-to-self).
    • Also given that community an important concept in the text and the major theme of our unit plan , we think having a member specific to that community speak as invaluable expert
  • Discuss their role in the community and what service they provide for urban First Nations people
• 20 min for students to think and write questions they would have for this speaker and to hand that in
  • Teachers should have ‘stem’ questions ready to initiate and keep the conversation constructive
  • Ask student(s) to volunteer to introduce the speaker to the class and to thank them next day( Lesson 15)
• Remainder of class period for working on their character mind map

Lesson 15: Community Resource about First Nations Youth

• 5- min to hand in mind map- If they have not done already so, students will need the classroom computer or go to the library to hand in their Prezi electronically
• 30 min Presentation from Community Resource/ Aboriginal Friendship centre
  • Student(s) to introduce guest speaker
• 15-20 min of group discussion/debrief
  • Student(s) to thank the guest speaker for coming in
• 5 min to complete and hand in ‘exit card’ on their ‘ a-ha’ moment, something that they learned and something they were still wondering about
• Introduce/ discuss essay Options: 5 essay topics assigned with a 6th student choice option (details in assignments pages)
• Homework: students to read p 61-76 independently

Week 1

Week 2

Week 4